Eric
Sanderson wakes up in a place he doesn't recognise, unable to
remember who he is. Attacked by a force he cannot see and confronted
with memories he cannot ignore, Eric discovers he is being hunted
by a psychic predator, a shark. This creature may exist only in
his mind, but it soon starts making some very real appearances
in his world. Loaded with letters from his past self, each signed
'With regret and also hope, The First Eric Sanderson', Eric embarks
on a quest to recover his life.

A
love story; an adventure; a psychological drama - this wild, touching,
modern tale is cut through with an understated humour and warmth.
The depths of love, language, memory and the inevitability of
loss have never been plumbed with such deep-hearted imagination.

"It isn't all coming back to me. I don't know any of this
at all. I felt that pricking horror, the one that comes when you
realise the extent of something bad - if you're dangerously lost
or you've made some terrible mistake - the reality of the situation
creeping in through the back of your head like some pantomime
Dracula. I did not know who I was. I did not know where I was.
That simple. That frightening."

Review
by JessicaRating
9/10Eric
Sanderson awakes from unconsciousness in a bedroom he doesn’t
recognize. The bedside table doesn’t look familiar, nor does the
double bed which Eric finds himself kneeling against. Mad with
panic and wonder Eric considers going straight to find the nearest
doctor or anyone for that matter, who can explain to him what
exactly has happened.

Through
a letter which he received signed “With regret and also hope,
The First Eric Sanderson” Eric meets up with a Dr Randle who promises
him that his memory will gradually return - this is what she calls
purely a psychological condition - memory suppression but not
one that causes actual damage. Also, she tells Eric about his
girlfriend Clio who was killed. Eric simply feels nothing as Dr
Randle tells him of this tragedy. Dr Randle also wants Eric not
to open any more of these letters that were written by himself
to himself before he suffered his memory loss. He says he will
not read these letters again but eventually Eric simply cannot
resist… and what is with the locked door and the strange noises
Eric often hears coming from behind? There is a key to unlock
this door but what will there be waiting for him?

Suddenly Eric is thrust into a somewhat surreal adventure as he
decides the only way of making any sense of it is to find the
mystery man named Dr Trey Fidorus. He also brings with him a cynical
ginger tomcat named Ian who keeps him company until he later meets
the cool yet mystifying Scout.
Steven has also done amazing codes in sections of the book and
unusual depictions with words to build up the shark plus a really
good flip which you don’t expect to come across in a book but
it definitely adds to the enjoyment of reading.

This novel is very much a mixture of The Matrix, Jaws
and The
Da Vinci Code. Some chapters are just very puzzling, weird
and unpredictable. Also, the creature (or force) called the Ludovician,
a frightening monster that plagues Eric, works well as a shark
playing on people’s fears. The ending was a bit weak and not one
that I understood. I hoped it would tie up the loose ends and
answer some of the questions I had. However, it just didn’t do
that. Apart from this I can say this entertaining, well-written
book is a must-have. Hall is a very clever writer with a clear
talent in what he does.

A
splendid and puzzling love story that now has film rights optioned
by Film Four. Read this then wait for the film to come out. You
won’t be disappointed.
Jessica (27th January 2008)